A truly great smartphone experience comes down to the marriage of software and hardware; how the two come together to form a conjoined experience. It’s about more than just using high-quality components. Design finally matters in a smartphone. And either Google doesn’t care, or they have it all wrong.

Now that we know what the next Nexus is going to look like, or LG’s variant at least, my worst fears have come true. The hardware that makes up Google’s Nexus phones may have found their voice, but the tune is all wrong.

Holo in action

It took Google years to come out with Holo. Looking back on versions of Android earlier than 4.0 makes me feel like everything else must have been just thrown out the door, into the arms of the public, with little to no care for design. I’ve always been a big fan of how Android functions, and the power behind it, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say, at one point, I thought it looked so bad I was only using it as a secondary OS.

Holo is well thought out. Google made sure developers could use it everywhere, while still being flexible enough to allow them to create totally unique experiences between apps. Instead of just further refining Android, like what had been done from versions 1.x to 2.3.x, Google hit the reset button with 4.0. So far Google has taken the old software improvement approach to their Nexus hardware. Little changes here and there, while still leaving the core design intact.

The Nexus One was a sleek device. It was nice to hold. With just a little heft to it, you could tell the Nexus One was made from quality materials. It had gently rounded corners and a two-tone body. The real story behind Google’s very first Nexus device was under the hood. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a looker. Even though I liked the Nexus One, I wouldn’t say it fit Android like a glove. Because nothing really did. When your software lacks consistency and style, how can you possibly expect the hardware to match?

The Nexus S suffered from the same problem as the Nexus One. The S looked alright, but it was a little boring. The curved display was impressive at first, but quickly went from innovation to novelty once it was clear it served no real purpose. (I suppose you could call it some sort of weird face cradle, but it just didn’t work with me.) The Nexus S was much more rounded than the Nexus One. Its silhouette was perfectly symmetrical. I thought it felt similar to a Palm Pre in the hand. (I’m not saying that is totally a good thing). The shiny black plastic of the Nexus S felt flimsy at times. The Nexus S creaked when you squeezed it. And, again, it felt like yet another piece of hardware Android was just slapped on.

The Galaxy Nexus looks like an evolution of the Nexus S. Made by the same company, Samsung, the Galaxy Nexus has a curved display, rounded corners, all black front, and even the same little chin on the back just like the Nexus S. Instead of a black body, the Galaxy Nexus is a sort of grayish, brownish tone. The back has a weird sort of diamond texture, like a futuristic golf ball.

The color, texture and shape of the Galaxy Nexus make no sort of appearance in Android 4.0. I was willing to forgive that for two reasons: Once I had settled in with Holo, and third-party developers started releasing Holo themed apps, I was so happy that the Galaxy Nexus’ appearance was easy to push to the back of my mind. The other reason was because Android has just went through a huge transition.

If Google had placed all of their resources in getting Android 4.0 and Holo in shape, and the design of the Galaxy Nexus was a bit of an afterthought, I suppose I can bring myself to understand that. The next Nexus phone needed to look great, though. Apple’s iPhone and Microsoft’s flagship Windows Phone devices have become extensions of the OS they run. Google needed to do that with their next Nexus phone. Apparently that’s not going to happen.

If the prototypes of the LG Nexus, or Nexus 4, going around feature the final design, I’ll be totally let down. At this point, there’s no reason to believe the device we’ve already seen pictured several different times now is not a final product.

Just imagine this, in a neat lucite shell

The LG Nexus looks a lot like the Galaxy Nexus. In fact, from the front, it looks practically identical to the Galaxy Nexus, only with more chin and silver bezel. It looks a lot like the myTouch 4G. On the back, it looks like someone lacquered a sequin dress and sculpted it into a battery cover. Like a relic of the 90s, encased in lucite and glued to a smartphone.

Tell me, how is this any sort of physical representation of Android 4.x and Holo? Does Google plan on releasing a bedazzled update to Android? The LG Nexus looks glossy and gaudy. Nothing at all like Holo. If it were made by Samsung, I’d be able to blame the design of the Nexus 4 on the manufacturer. It’s not. Which leads me to believe Google wants it look like this.

Matias, what are you doing?

Matias Duarte is the lead designer for Android. You could very well say Android 4 and Holo are his latest children in what has a become a very good looking family. Before working with Google on Android, Matias played a crucial role in the design team behind webOS and the Palm Pre. Two years after that device hit its end of life, it’s still talked about as a shining beacon of what a modern smartphone can be. Sure, webOS wasn’t without its bugs, and the build quality on the Pre left something to be desired, but, well, you either saw it or you didn’t.

I feel like a broken record, spouting buzz words and jargon, longing for the build quality of something like the iPhone or One X in a Nexus; wishing for a device that fit its software as well as the Lumia series or HTC’s new devices fit Windows Phone; reminiscing on how great it was to see something as gorgeous as the Palm Pre and webOS for the first time. I just can’t help but be reminded time and time again that Google has the resources to craft something truly amazing. Especially with Matias and Motorola on their side.

Instead, we’re left with a pill shaped disco ball.

Feel free to borrow from the past

I know I’m being a little negative, but I’m not alone in expecting more out of Google’s Nexus hardware. While writing this, a discussion went up in our threads section talking about how we need more colors in our Android devices. Give me a unibody polycarbonate phone in Holo Blue. Or Google+ Red. Even Play Store Green sounds nice. Maybe something with a little updated mid-century modern sci-fi feel to it. With some influence from 2001 a Space Odyssey. Now that would be awesome. You could even take a white brick of plastic, slap a screen on it, and I’d probably be more happy with it than the current design of the LG Nexus.

I honestly feel like Android 4 and Holo look good enough for Google to only have to provide small aesthetic changes here and there for the next several years. The design that Google has embraced in Android, in places like Google Now and Google+, and in other services like Gmail and search online, is fantastic. It has exactly the digitally authentic feel to it software should these days. Google needs to get their hardware into the same league. I can’t handle another smartphone that looks like an LG myTouch Galaxy Nexus 3GS.

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I agree. I wish they would have changed it up a little made it more noticeable or different. I liked the design of the galaxy nexus, but do not want something that looks almost identical to that. I hope the multiple nexus rumors are true and others have a chance to really make a splash with their designs. I think HTC and sony could make some really amazing looking nexus devices.

I don’t quite understand your point, especially your words “more noticeable”.
So, just to make things clear for me: if you could decide what device to include in the Nexus line, what would you choose?
Please, anyone, who agrees with Dustin’s point of view, feel free to show us your vision of a Nexus device. I like the GNex design, but I will explain it a bit later.

I hear what he’s saying. I feel it too. If Apple could be convinced to make a 4.7ish iPhone 5 running Android, I’d wait in line overnight for it. Similarly, I’d love to see the Lumia 920 Android version, if only for the pureview camera. Our best option, though, is HTC. The design they put into the Sprint Evo 4g LTE is unbelieveable. Mebbe I’m just tired of plasticky crap…

The Sprint Evo 4G LTE looks like crap, built extremely well, but still looks like crap. The HTC One X on the other hand is truly ground breaking and exactly what Google needs to embrace as it moves forward with the best mobile OS ever.

I don’t think hardware looks matter as much as you think. Most smartphone users put their phone in a case. You say the iphone looks great but I see plenty of people putting that great looking phone in a gigantically ugly otterbox.

By noticeable I think he means that it has a defining feature that makes it stand out. NExus had that before with the curved screen. Which with a quick glance it was immediately identified as a NExus device. No one wants a brick phone. Samsung got it right. Their new phones look like pebbles. This phone looks like it was designed by the Chinese.

Are you freaking kidding me?? I’ll take an incredible 4.7″ screen phone with NFC, wireless charging, mind blowing S4 pro and out of this world graphics over the iCRAP5 any day of the week. The outer shell is the canvas that you can wrap around with one of the many awesome frames/case out there, but in the end what will make the phone is what’s inside. And the LG Nexus 4 hardware and software combo blows the scratch prone blurry blue eyed iCARP5 out of the water. So keep them coming Google. The LG Nexus 4 looks AWESOME!

I agree with you here. I wish the Nexus was a much sexier-looking phone. That said, there are two things going on here that I think are pretty major factors:

1) No Nexus phone has been a very high-volume phone in terms of sales. As such, until it’s expected for that to change, it may not make a lot of business sense (think ROI) to invest in some great design.
2) This is LG’s design and, frankly, they’ve always had a fairly boring device design.

But this doesn’t change that we’ve all been hoping (and ignorantly expecting) for something neat and new in the design front here. Whether or not it’s LG’s fault or our own, expectations weren’t met.

Yep, its the chicken and egg argument here. Low sales –> cheap hardware or cheap hardware –> low sales. Impressions matter and so far with Android, only HTC has really made an effort at exceptional hardware (One X). Unfortunately, they negate it with terrible software.

Make the Nexus device the “stock” flagship and give it the hardware it deserves (something original and very high quality) and you’ll get a lot more buyers. You might even consider [novel idea]marketing[/novel idea] your high-end, stock Android device instead of relying on the carriers to do your marketing for you.

Still holding out hope for a Nexus One X. A 4.7″ design of the Nexus One, with the Guts of the One X+. I’d buy that in a heart beat. This LG phone…eh…the S4+Adreno 320 probably crushes the Tegra3, but if the rumors are true that this only has 8GB of storage, it’s a pointless device….Why have so much horsepower under the hood if it barely has enough fuel to start…

I think the Galaxy Nexus is a great looking device! And the back is awesome! It’s got a great texture which lets me grip it without worry that it’ll slip out of my hands like the S3 or something. It sounds like yours is a personal problem Dustin.

I agree. I think the look is simple, but elegant. Sure it could have used fewer seams, but on these devices, the screen is so large that so long as the thickness and weight are inside of reasonable bounds, the design variations provide a barely marginal aesthetic benefit at best. I’m much more excited about the S4 Pro running the LGN, which will very likely best the iPhone5, a mere 1-2 month span since the iDevice’s release.

Yep, I love the look of my Galaxy Nexus, and I’m glad to see the LG Nexus looks a lot like it. It’s sleek and black and when you turn on the screen, Holo pops. The dark parts of the UI blend nicely into the phone so it’s hard to tell what’s phone and what’s UI which is really cool (You can clearly see the buttons though.) I have a black background on my screen so it all blends nicely. I don’t want a blue, red or orange phone with some funky shape or strange lines. That would just distract from the interface, which is what the phone is all about.

The GN is a really good looking device, but compared to the iPhone, One X, Nokia phones, its no better than “just ok.” I don’t have a problem with plastic, but It definitely feels pretty cheap compared to those other phones. The new LG Nexus looks like flashy dogshit. This isn’t rocket science here and gimmicky crap like this sequin look that LG is using only cheapens the Nexus brand. Dustin is right here…Google needs to take ownership of the Nexus phones and that means software AND hardware.

Apple makes flagship products because they control everything software and hardware. Microsoft is seeing the benefit in that approach (see Surface Tablets and possibly phones). I’m not saying Google needs to cut any of their partners out, but if you are going to make a flagship device designed to promote the Android OS, make it a flagship device. The manufacturers can do what they want with all of the other devices, but if Google is going to have a “Google” phone, then they need to be paying attention to the hardware just as much as they have the software.

I know. I love Android and me. But this Article is a pile of shit.
If you want funky coloured phones get a fucking Windows Phone. Deal with Nokia Maps. BING BING BING!!! And all the shit it entails.

How the FUCK is an iPhone 5 an “extension”of iOS 6? Youre talking out of your ass Dustin.

And the Benetton styling is all Micorosoft could do with their tiled up OS.
Seriously if those were Android phones, youd have guys like Dustin writing articles crying: Why cant I have a professional sleek looking phone? All Android phones look like fisheer price toys! I just paid $500+ for this and I want it to look like it!”etc etc etc

Look a little more carefully, there are lots of Android phones that aren’t absurdly large. Samsung Relay is an excellent top of the line phone that measures 4.0 inch (same like iJunk). As for interface confusion, to each their own, but I always found apple interfaces to be completely insane — you need to dig down through several layers of menus that have nothing to do with what you’re looking to accomplish before finding the right setting for something simple.

Android’s interface is designed to be highly functional, where you don’t need to go messing in weird places — it “just works”.

Agree with jaxidian above. Plus, the Nexus, up to now, is not meant to be a consumer-oriented phones. Until Google comes out and changes its tone, the Nexus will remain a developer phone.

More importantly, the Android OS has always been about the separation of hardware and software. This is its strength and its weakness. And, if the rumor is true, we are going to see other Nexus phones made by different OEMs. Are we going to expect a similar look across all those phones? If so, why do we want multiple Nexus in the first place.

I think there’s no coincidence that the general tone of the Android OS is mostly “colorless” — so that it can match well with different phone hardware designs.

Actually, it takes light to make colors — Android is designed to take advantage of AMOLED displays, which only light up that part of the screen where light is actually coming from. The end result is that devices with AMOLED displays actually consume less power than ANY device with an SLCD (like apple).

It takes no power to make black. It takes less power to make blue than white. This is why you see Android color schemes to tend toward cyan.

I do know that HTC has a good looking, powerful phone on its hands. This week, I got to hold it in my own hands and the One X continues to impress. This time, as the revamped “One X+.”

“The weight and dimensions of the phone are virtually unchanged aside from a slightly refined coating on the polycarbonate (a really good kind of plastic) shell, that has a better rubbery grippy feeling to it –and yes, “rubbery grippy” is a technical term now.”

We really liked the HTC One X, and from our brief encounter with the One X+ tonight, we’re going to like it even more. On the outside, it looks essentially the same–same gorgeous screen, same solid build–but its insides are nicely ramped up.

“The X+ looks identical to the One X, but the feel in the hand is decidedly different. Where the One X has a semi-matte shell, the X+ has a full-on soft-touch paint job. It has a grippy feel that definitely sticks in the hand more than the One X does. The footprint is the same, though, and it’s a fairly good-sized phone in terms of length and width. It remains to be thin, thankfully.”

“The screen, which measures 4.7-inches and includes 1280 x 720 pixels, looked quite good. It’s the same LCD used by the One X, and it’s one of my favorite displays to come to market this year.”

If you don’t know what you’re talking about, you shouldn’t talk at all. how is HTC almost bankrupt? HTC has never posted a loss. Even with sales down this yer, they will be taking nearly $800 million to the bank. Nokia, RIM and even Sony are more at rist of closing up shop than HTC is.

Why are you even commenting here? You should be trying to state your own damn opinion yet you just quote from other sites by copy and paste. If we were interested at browsing from Phonescoop we’d be reading from them instead on the reading the comments section from AaM!

Agree with you, Dustin. Dieter Rams will be cringing looking at these designs. We may hate Apple for their monopolistic ways, but they do have good taste.

In terms of design, I don’t want to sound racist (I’m Asian myself) but the Koreans really do not get aesthetics. HTC & Sony do get it (although I didn’t personally like the NXT range), but in the specs race, they always seem to come out second best.

I thought the One S was the best designed Android phone for a long time, with superb materials. I hope HTC get a Nexus phone and build one around that design.

That glittery back is appalling. How could something like that possibly get the thumbs up? I’m praying that it looks worse in the pics than in real life, because these pics are taken up so close with lots of lighting. If that’s the case, the bezel, extra chin space, and off centered cameras are my only negatives for the design. Not really big enough problems to keep me from buying given the great specs, unless the back really is that girly.

I Totally agree in some aspects, but in others i disagree… i love this site and i think that a lot of us jumping the gun by acting as if this is the final product design. i know you mentioned that in this article, but we shouldn’t be disappointed in something that has yet to actually materialize. as this site as mention before, building the hype and publishing articles like this ass so many are guilty of doing only dampens the hype of the rumor itself by calling out what, again, has yet to be materialized. I know, some might see me as trolling her, which i’m not, and some might see me as totally disagreeing with you which i’m not. like i said, i agree with this article totally, but i don’t think we should even be a little disappointed. we should, as i’ve heard other androidandme fans say before, save the disappointed, anger, and the possibility of some sort of let down all together until something is officially announced. but thank you for this article in any case.

I agree with you fully . Although it is fun to debate nexus all day, this is still the rumored nexus device. It says “with Google” and doesnt have the rumored nexus “X” on the back either. Maybe they handed out phones with different body designs for testing like how they do when testing cars and covering up the body.
I prefer my phone without a case, But most will be putting a case on it anyway. :)

“Like a turbo edition of sports car, the One X+ for AT&T sports the same ultra-bright and sharp 4.7-inch Super LCD 2 screen, but there’s more power under the hood, thanks to a 1.7-GHz Tegra 3 quad-core processor. You also get a beefier 2,100 mAh battery, up from 1,800 mAh on the One X, so you should be able to get more surfing time on AT&T’s network. We like the stealth-bomberesque black design on this premium device; it not only looks bad-ass but doesn’t feel like it could slip out of your hands like the glossier Samsung Galaxy S III.”

I think this has more to do with what sort of design the hardware manufacturer brings to the table. Google provides the internal specs plus the latest build of android to go with it. It’s really the manufacturers call on how the device should look.

The galaxy nexus was a samsung device, not to mention the nexus 1 was not sold in stores it was sold right through Google which most people did not know about hence why it didn’t really sell that well. Plus afterall, it is aimed as a developer device and not a really main stream huge seller device.

Yeah, this thing is hideous. Please bring back the gold and black, 80′s batman utility belt theme that the OG Droid had. Also, shape it like a brick. And borrow the bulging fish eye of a camera that protrudes from the sleek back of the Samsung GNex. When I’m making a call, I want people to look at me and say “Damn, that guy’s phone is also a camera!” A camera phone! What an idea. What’s with the subtle camera, flush with the back of the phone? How are people going to know I have a camera in my phone? How is my girlfriend going to look up during a triple X throwdown, and see my phone, propped up in a coffee mug, with that tiny black square capturing her every move? It’s like the only thing that LG even got right was bedazzling the back like a Richard Simmons tank top. No thanks, LG. I’ll stick with my Nokia 7600.

I concur, you hit it right on the mark. The Nexus phone needs a design that is befitting of Holo and Android 4.1. Android already has a set of principles and guidelines for what Holo is, how it looks like, and how it works. Why not do something similar and make the hardware a focal point, as well. The hardware should bring the user to the software and provide a design that brings forth an emotional response, one that leads from hardware to software, like the flow of water in a stream. Hardware must complement the software and bring out the best of both worlds.

I want to be able to hold a Nexus and immediately feel an emotional response, one that is attuned to the design guidelines of Holo. I don’t want just a big slab but a device that is designed for me or one that brings beauty and simplicity to the forefront, thus creating a magical and connected experience. At the moment the Nexus is just a part of the whole and holo is also a part of the whole. Google and their partners need to bridge the gap and bring the two aspects of the phone to create something genuinely authentic and personal.

“I want to be able to hold a Nexus and immediately feel an emotional response, one that is attuned to the design guidelines of Holo.”

Ugh, to bring up the HTC One X (I really dislike you cGmC11)… make something like that – a tastefully done two-tone device like the Cushnie et Ochs edition of the HTC One X – that phone is sexy without being gaudy. Just enough flash to garner a second glance and elicit the question “Hey, what phone is that?!” from a passer-by.

Samsung is winning for a reason, and I think Google should of stuck with them and let them tweak the Galaxy Nexus a little bit. They’re not going to make it top notch because it’s just a reference device. Also, they want to sell it cheap to spark more buzz in the device section of the play store. I don’t think the Nexus will be something extravagant until Google makes it more of a show piece instead of a work horse.

We have at least give Google props for coming along ways with androids, and even though they have to pin down hardware design, i believe the Nexus program will enable them to more effectively pin down hardware design be having multiple devices, while also giving android users more variety

While I think this article is well intentioned, I also think it presumes/assumes too much. Do we have any proof, aside from the curved design of past Nexus devices, that Google is mandating Nexus devices look a certain way? We obviously know that Google has a close relationship with the hardware manufacturer chosen to produce a Nexus device, but I don’t think they’re as intimately involved in design choices as this article makes them out to be.

There is some sense amongst us. I’ve been spitting feathers about this lack luster phone design for days.

Jellybean is an OS to be proud of and it is by far more in tune with what these phones mean to us as smart devices. No silly pretend wood, metal or water droplets cluttering up the screen. These phones are the very powerful remote’s for our digital lives and should reflect that before the screen illuminates.

I would love to take out my phone and have strangers to look at it like it was the monolith from 2001. Yes I want them to go crazy and scream like chimps because seeing my phone is like telling an adult that now we can fly through the sea and sail on the sky.

Maybe we go to far with our requests but we should at least have a phone that looks like someone gave a damn about how it should look and feel like because the user should at least feel some connection with a device they carry around with them everyday for the next 18 to 24 months.

Have to disagree with your here. I think the device looks great. LG’s crystal reflection process looks very nice in person on the Optimus G, and I think it will translate well on the LG Nexus. I think it will look even better in white, if one becomes available.

Google obviously has a hand in design, but it’s still ultimately the manufacturer’s phone. If Google has complete control over the design, I have my doubts that the Nexus S or Galaxy Nexus would have the bump on the back of it, just like the original Galaxy S and Galaxy S II devices.

Nexus devices don’t necessarily need to have a stark contrast in design from the previous one. At the end of the day, they are developer devices. I’m just glad it doesn’t look like a bar of soap like the Nexus S did.

In attempts to go for “understated”, LG’s designs usually come off as boring, but that’s hardly what I see here. As long as the thing comes with more than 8GB of internal storage, it’ll most definitely be my next device.

I’m on the Nexus S, and this LG Nexus gives me everything I wanted in an upgrade. Though maybe a little large for my tastes.

I like the curves of the Samsung Nexii, but the LG looks like a phone you can plunk down onto your desk and it won’t wobble. And the beveled edges should make it still nice to hold. I think the Sparkle Time effect will actually be more understated than the first few pictures suggested. Overall looks like a really solid phone, can’t wait to see the final version.

“The curved display was impressive at first, but quickly went from innovation to novelty once it was clear it served no real purpose.”

If you ever left it facing down on a table you’d be glad you had that curved screen. It’s one thing I miss in the Galaxy Nexus, which is much less curved. I also need to be much careful. It protected the screen very well against flat surfaces.

Other than that, you nailed it. About colors, I’m all for choice, although I don’t want anything flashy that remotely resembles something you could buy at a Toys R Us. Much less something with a huge glowing or shining logo on the back.

I absolutely agree! Although I do think the Galaxy Nexus is the the best Nexus phone made in terms of design next to the Nexus One. This LG Nexus is just so lackluster, I will be staying with my Galaxy Nexus until the next release!!

Uhm the front looks exactly the same as the gnex and then LG gives it a crystal back which is better then the crap Samsung had on the back. How do you not like this phone vut love the gnex im confused aha

Most people are going to slap a case on the phone and not going to care (and never see) what the backside looks like. All my iPhone friends who have their ‘beautiful phone’ want to protect it and put a case of it as well.

If the same form factor is being used as the Galaxy Nexus then accessories are already available! What is more important is what is under the hood for me.

I could not agree with this article more. I was hoping that I was not the only one that felt like the installment of the Nexus was a huge disappointment.

I look at the G nexus and think ‘That’s a sexy phone’ Then the release of the One series and the GsIII was like WHOA.

But this… is bad. like very bad. I remember when the G1 came out and the look was so unique and tougher than a big DOG! My G1 was hit by a car and survived like a solider. I love that girl!

My vibrant was thin and soft, but that girl was still baad! My HTC sensation was a designed that made me not even want a case for it and my SgIII is (to me) the best looking phone out of the bunch, I have rooted and put on AOKP. It feels GREAT expensive habit, but I love I mean Its light, but still with some weight, good tactile button in the front, and just a good looking piece of hardware.

This phone here, made by LG, makes me long for the days when HTC was not dying and innovation was not being killed. But, it feels great to be spoiled enough w/ android to even have this complaint. I’m sure there is some serious issues with the new iPhone that I’m not aware of that drives people nuts.

Anyways great article and thank you for having the balls to say it… I read through the comments, and looks like we are in the minority.

Honestly I think Google is stuck in between a rock and a hard place. They want a successful selling phone but don’t want to sell it thru carriers like the s3 does. And it looks like they want to give their average consumers of nexus products recognition and familiarity by making a device that looks similar to its predecessor. They can’t sell a bunch of a new phone that looks just like the old phone that didn’t sell very well

I totally agree. The Galaxy Nexus is the best looking phone I ever seen. I love the curve design and everything about it. Saif mentioned a design inspired by the Nexus Q. That would be badass!! I hope Google is reading. Lol

I agree. I honestly don’t know why ppl are hating this phone so much. I remember ppl bitching about the s3 design and saying how its gonna fail and how uninspiring it is. Well guess what…its the best selling Android phone period and those who complained about its design quickly fell in lovw with it once they held it in their own hands (myself included). I personally think this phone looks gorgeous. The screen is going to be better than the current Gnex, the internal hardware is INSANE (especially considering its a nexus phone), the camera is awesome and most importantly its going to run the latest and greatest mobile OS on the planet. What more do u guys want? Google is putting a stock android on a beast of a phone. They changed up the looks of the Optimus G (and thank God for that) to make it their own. The back looks sick and I say this again….WAIT till u actually see it for yourself. You may end up loving it. Psyched to see how this phone is going to perform on a stock android build. Its gonna be a fuckin BEAST.

You know, I think you guys are really over-exaggerating the “bad looks” of this phone. I don’t think it looks bad at all. I’m not sure if there’s anyone who agrees with me, but I truly believe it looks better than the iPhone 5. The SGS3 had bad reception as well, but its looks were growing on everyone later on. The merits of the design of a certain device aren’t always self-evident, it takes time for someone to appreciate them. I believe it’ll be the same case with this Nexus.

Look how better it looks next to the iPhone, back to back. This Nexus has more uniformity and looks more symmetrical in height and width. The iPhone looks too tall, and the extra “chin” on this Nexus is to accommodate the extra width (768p) of the screen, which is wider than the Galaxy S3′s while the whole phone is narrower. If it had a smaller chin, it’s going to look too wide. It’s just as tall as the SGS3, but the top edge of the screen is close to one’s thumb. Yes, it’s really close the design of the Galaxy Nexus from the front, but that design was simply amazing, only the back needed some work.

Look how thin those side bezels are, it’s really close to nothing. According to the screen size and resolution, this screen is 102.4mmÃ—61.4mm, and the SGS3 is 106.3mmÃ—59.8mm, which means the screen of this Nexus is 1.6mm thicker and 3.9mm shorter. They NEED a thicker top and bottom (chin) so that the device doesn’t look too wide. Mind you, they’re no where as big as the ones on the previous iPhones relative to the whole size of the device. The SGS3′s body is 70.6mm wide, and this Nexus (according to those rumored specs) is 69mm (1.6mm narrower than the SGS3). Simple math says the side bezels on the SGS3 measure 5.4mm each (from outer body to the screen), the iPhone 5 is 4.35mm, and this Nexus is 3.8mm!! The SGS3′s bezel looks thinner than the iPhone (while it’s not) because the entire device is larger, imagine how THIN this Nexus’ bezel will look!

I’m also digging the wider screen, more real estate for browsing and navigation (You’ll see the difference side-by-side when the same webpage is loaded on both devices in the future). It’s 16:10, videos will also look great.

You guys keep saying “glittery back”, but I’d like to call it “mosaic”. The author keeps saying that the Nexus needs to look like Holo and Android as a whole, but let ask you this: have you ever seen the “Nexus Live Wallpaper”? Does that ring a bell?

All in all, I think the craftsmanship and engineer of the phone are great. I hope the back is made of tough gorilla glass though, I don’t want another issue like the iPhone 4/4S had.

I know everyone has an opinion. That’s terrific. And if you think Samsung phones are good designs of high quality, that’s fine. But I would also ask you to consider that fact that popular opinion does NOT hold them to high regard as far as materials are concerned.

The reason people want to see mostly an HTC or Sony Nexus phone is because they have a higher quality build. And I’m not talking about stupid drop tests. I’m talking about the materials used, the design, etc. Shiny plastic looks cheap. Period! You can have a difference of opinion but you are in the minority plain and simple.

The reason Samsung sells more phones than HTC isn’t because their phones are better. It’s because Samsung is a giant company that can market with the best of them. Super Bowl ads? Sure. World Series ads? Sure. Every NFL game I watch on the weekend has Samsung Galaxy commercials. THAT’S why they sell.

But give me a break. I have a 2 year old Android phone that is stock, not rooted, never been rooted, and it’s slow. I’m in the market for a new phone. I cannot for 1 second even think of buying a Galaxy Nexus to flash in front of my iPhone 5 friends. I’d be out of my mind. The iPhone 5 build quality is so much better it’s not even funny. However, if I bust out an HTC One X or One X+, now I would feel like I have a well built phone with better software than iOS. It’s something I can be proud of.

No offense to any of you that like Samsung or LG phones, but one of the reasons that you see people with iPhone’s still is because their hardware is so nice. If you had better builds of the likes of HTC from someone large like Samsung, you’d see an even bigger gap between Android phone sales vs. the iPhone. I don’t think kids care so much. Your average high school kid or college kid probably doesn’t care. But when you get a bit older, you want some sophistication and class not just with software, but with the hardware itself.

So all you Galaxy Nexus lovers and perhaps lovers of this new LG, please don’t pretend that you don’t realize how much better other phones are built like the One X or an iPhone. There’s actually zero comparison between phones like that and the shiny pieces of crap hardware that the Korean companies like to put out. They do it to make more profit.

I think I have decided that my next Phone will be a One X+. I want to support companies that put out beautiful hardware with high end materials and not the company that markets the most on t.v.

I agree that the design is not a noticeable difference. I would like to see something totally different and not black. After the Nexus S came out with the curve display, all android phones emulated the design. I think it has to do with branding but all the iPhones look the same and there is so many different form factors for android that could be used. I also think the 360 images does it some justice. I am still looking for a new Nexus device because my Nexus S is only 3.5G and the memory is a problem. I didn’t think the Galaxy Nexus innovated enough.I think what the tech industry has done is spoiled us to the point that we want and expect more innovation at a faster pace

I’m not understanding the connection Dustin Earley is trying to make with Holo and the Galaxy Nexus in this article, so what if the phone’s hardware doesn’t look like the OS. If it did one or the other would get outdated fairly quickly. Just because the The nexus4 seems to have sparkles on the back doesn’t mean that the OS will all of a sudden start to have the same appearance. I don’t see the mesh leather design from the Nexus7 anywhere in the design of the OS.

I have to be honest, I didn’t like the Galaxy Nexus’ design when I first saw it, but it quickly grew on me simply because the phone doesn’t quite look like many other phones. I feel the same about the Nexus4. I’m not digging the backside of this phone but I’m withholding final judgement until I see it in person.

The Nexus is not meant to be for the mainstream. It is a “techie” device. I personally love the look of the new Nexus, if this is the final design. Leave the radical design set and vivid colors to the smartphones for the masses, such as the Galaxy SIII, etc. The gimmicks are best left to the devices that are owned by folk that enjoy those perks. For Nexus users, it’s about the hardware and software integration within the device.

I have to agree that the front looks much too alike to the GNex, but imho, the simple black panel pairs well with the onscreen buttons. Looks quite sophisticated in my eyes. I always thought the GNex looked awesome from the front – vibrant when the screen was on, minimalistic and sleek when it wasn’t. And the notification light made it all the nicer ;). The backside, well, is… Somewhat unique, if a bit cheap looking. To me, sparkly doesn’t fit with Android (like, AT ALL), but we’ll see, ya know? The backside of the GNex also looked butt ugly to me, but it grew on, just like the S3, which was VERY disappointing at first glance. All the same, I would’ve liked the 4X form with onscreen navigation buttons. Guess I’ll be waiting for that elusive Xperia Nexus xD.

Ranting over a set of unofficial pictures leaked by someone? how can you even judge the design of the phone if it is not even officially announced? Or at least do a hands-on the device. If ever the photos were true, it’s still too early to judge the phone’s design since things can still change.

I understand this article is an opinion piece but it is frankly a really horrible one at that.
The GNex is a great and very good-looking device and from the pics we’ve seen so far the LG Nexus will be as well. If you don’t like it – guess what – just don’t buy it. Buy a HOX+ instead or go for a Nokia or an iPhone if form over function is so important for you. Looks are a matter of taste and there is no right way for a device to look (even though Apple won’t stop pretending otherwise).
For me and many others, my device needs to vanish around the OS I am using, and the GNex does so extremely well.

This phone is not going to win any beauty contests, but I don’t think it’s as bad as you make it out to be. I actually dig it. If you recall the GSIII was getting bashed left and right when it first was announced, and it did just fine.

This flush, flat glass back with a patented crystal reflection technology is much better than the hideous plastic shit on the galaxy nexus with a freaking fish eyed camera popping the fuck out with a love handle bump on the bottom.

Not hating on the galaxy nexus. Just saying you samsung fanboys need to realise how much nicer the LG nexus is.

I think the device looks great. I have a Galaxy Nexus and love the design and color. I think what Google is trying to do is set a standard for each device but keeping them similar even though they are moving manufacturers. Each device has had rounded corners and the same sorta design in the front. Rounded back for the most part also.

I just dont think this is my upgrade for the year. I think Im going to wait for the Note 2 and then get the next nexus. Next year. This doesnt seem to grab my eyes like the first nexus did.

The Nexus Line of Phones,Tablets and Media consumption devices are OPEN.

They are open because Google is open (on the whole) so they fall in line with Google’s ethos of innovation and sharing information for all.

They are not dedicated developers devices because they are sold in the consumer goods market for non developers.

It is much more accurate to say these are developer friendly devices.

Consumers and Developers have totally different needs and without needing to be on the board of Google the fact that I can buy these devices in consumer stores on-line and in high street retail outlets tells me these are meant for consumers.

The TV adverts tell me the sort of consumer they want to buy these devices.

Developers don’t even get adverts aimed at them.

The Nexus brand does have a purpose though and that is to collect data for advertising which is Google’s main money making stream.

You’re forgetting how Samsung messed up the Galaxy Nexus in the first place. I sold mine after a while, just because they messed up the speakers, build quality and updates “probably to make the GS3 good”. An other thing, some people got different builds of the phone such as “yakju” and “yakjux” which one of them is Google updates and the other is Samsung updates. Easily fixed after a root but most people buy a Nexus device to skip the rooting and instead, having a device they want fixed out of the box. This time it sure seems like Google went all in and put the processor Snapdragon S4 krait compared to the TI OMAP. The screen is also Gyro touch which means no delay at all between the finger and the screen, that is actually one feature that the iPhone 5 has “since I think it’s LG who makes the screen for them?”. The camera seems really good in the latest picture under the 360 degrees photo they posted earlier. The build quality? LG has better build quality than Samsung… I’m annoyed how people keep talking good about the GNexus but they forget, without stock android the phone would be total crap! That’s the only reason we bought the GNexus… Now google and LG has put both design, hardware in a new level “if the specifications are true”.

I completely disagree! I would be very disappointed if Google would take the Nokia way of making colorful hardware. The hardware should be out of the way, it should be minimalistic and not distracting. It should serve as an efficient window to the software. This is the Apple’s approach and I like it. I think the Nexus design serves this purpose very well – no physical buttons, no shiny color plastic, small bezel.

I just looked at the optimus G (the phone this nexus is based on) and it’s down right gorgeous. The. Nexus is the same design just rounded edges not sharp. People say this design is ugly i think people will change there mind when they hold one. LG is better then Samsung, they didn’t do the nexus brand bogus either like Samsung does. Im finally going to have a LG. They will take htc spot as number 2 watch and they will beat out Samsung as long as Samsung keeps using crap build quality. LG is stepping up even Samsung has said the same exact thing. This will be the best nexus ever.

However in all fairness, Google isn’t the only company suffering a lack of design ideas. How much of a design improvement have you seen from Apple since the iPhone 4? The 4S was identical to the 4 and the 5 is basically just a stretched out iPhone 4. Apple even released a video of Jony Ive saying how they were careful in not making major changes to the device to preserve the user’s relationship with their device. Sounds like they’re making excuse for not straying to far off the line when it comes to design.

I think it’s a little early to judge LG’s device since the hardware isn’t even at release level yet. That said, I think the screen is the main attraction (other than the OS itself) and as such, the rest of the phone should sort of get out of the way. At the same time I’m getting pretty tired of dark neutral, meaning various shades of grey/bronze/black. And I can’t ever see carrying a yellow, teal or red phone.

What I would really like is a clear poly-carbonate shell (the stuff they make riot shields from) in a matte translucent finish with the notification LEDs inset into the shell.This way the entire shell could softly glow in whatever colors the user wished when notifications occurred. I have been using matte clear TPU skins for some time and really like the look. In addition scuffs and scratches to the shell become a thing of the past because you could just carefully sand them away since there would be no painted color finish.

While I don’t really disagree with you, I’m thinking the vision may be something like the phone is just the canvas for the software. The software is front and center and the hardware should be understated as to not take anything away from it.

That being said, I wish they would have pulled the Holo blue into the hardware. Not the whole phone like the Lumia just a little spash kind of the like the Evo One X on sprint. Just a bit of color done right.

We are quickly reaching the point where the ergonomics of the face, fingers, ears, and mouth are limiting the so-called “innovation” in design. The Nexus S is a fantastic phone, and no amount of whining will change that.

A “We think that ” in the title would have been more than appreciable because in its current state, I just have to say “I love this phone’s design” for your post to become useless.
Let’s keep serious guys, we often appreciate your enlightened point of view, but not when it comes to very subjective matters such as design.

Not a great design buff..but yeah sure it could have been unique in-terms of look-n-fell. But hey, once put into a case, they all mostly look the same. Anyways, it needs to be better spec’ed. Price wise 400$ sounds a sweet spot with possible reductions as holidays approaching.

When was the last time anyone of us saw anything by LG and said “Wow! That looks (insert adjective)! I must own it” Never. LG is a jack of all trades, master of none type company. I know samsung is too. While I agree with the idea of many OEM nexus devices to reduce fragmentation, they need to step up and take control of the design of their flagship device.

This is really, really ironic, but I think Jelly Bean would look really, really good on the black iPhone 5. Just think about it – the stark, minimalist, dark look of Holo matches perfectly with the stark, minimalist, dark design of the iPhone 5.

No matter how you look at it, a phone is going to have to conform to certain design specifications;

3-dimensional rectangle, height approximately 2x width, depth some relatively thin size around or a little under 1/2 inch.

Round the cornes however you like, paint it with whatever color you like. In the end, they ALL LOOK THE SAME, and all I care about is that it doesn’t look too fruity (i.e., pink = bad). Greys and blacks are good non-descript colors to paint your rectangle with.

A phone is NOT SUPPOSED to be artwork. Its supposed to be a TOOL. It is supposed to do a specific job — connectivity, and do it well. If you’re all hung up about how “pretty” it is, the you’re obviously just looking for a status symbol and not a tool — in other words, your opinion is meaningless and your expression of your opinion does nothing except prove that you’re an imbicile.

I agree. I wish they would have changed it up a little made it more noticeable or different. I liked the design of the galaxy nexus, but do not want something that looks almost identical to that. I hope the multiple nexus rumors are true and others have a chance to really make a splash with their designs. I think HTC and sony could make some really amazing looking nexus devices.

I don’t quite understand your point, especially your words “more noticeable”.
So, just to make things clear for me: if you could decide what device to include in the Nexus line, what would you choose?
Please, anyone, who agrees with Dustin’s point of view, feel free to show us your vision of a Nexus device. I like the GNex design, but I will explain it a bit later.

I hear what he’s saying. I feel it too. If Apple could be convinced to make a 4.7ish iPhone 5 running Android, I’d wait in line overnight for it. Similarly, I’d love to see the Lumia 920 Android version, if only for the pureview camera. Our best option, though, is HTC. The design they put into the Sprint Evo 4g LTE is unbelieveable. Mebbe I’m just tired of plasticky crap…

The Sprint Evo 4G LTE looks like crap, built extremely well, but still looks like crap. The HTC One X on the other hand is truly ground breaking and exactly what Google needs to embrace as it moves forward with the best mobile OS ever.

I don’t think hardware looks matter as much as you think. Most smartphone users put their phone in a case. You say the iphone looks great but I see plenty of people putting that great looking phone in a gigantically ugly otterbox.

By noticeable I think he means that it has a defining feature that makes it stand out. NExus had that before with the curved screen. Which with a quick glance it was immediately identified as a NExus device. No one wants a brick phone. Samsung got it right. Their new phones look like pebbles. This phone looks like it was designed by the Chinese.

Are you freaking kidding me?? I’ll take an incredible 4.7″ screen phone with NFC, wireless charging, mind blowing S4 pro and out of this world graphics over the iCRAP5 any day of the week. The outer shell is the canvas that you can wrap around with one of the many awesome frames/case out there, but in the end what will make the phone is what’s inside. And the LG Nexus 4 hardware and software combo blows the scratch prone blurry blue eyed iCARP5 out of the water. So keep them coming Google. The LG Nexus 4 looks AWESOME!

I agree with you here. I wish the Nexus was a much sexier-looking phone. That said, there are two things going on here that I think are pretty major factors:

1) No Nexus phone has been a very high-volume phone in terms of sales. As such, until it’s expected for that to change, it may not make a lot of business sense (think ROI) to invest in some great design.
2) This is LG’s design and, frankly, they’ve always had a fairly boring device design.

But this doesn’t change that we’ve all been hoping (and ignorantly expecting) for something neat and new in the design front here. Whether or not it’s LG’s fault or our own, expectations weren’t met.

Yep, its the chicken and egg argument here. Low sales –> cheap hardware or cheap hardware –> low sales. Impressions matter and so far with Android, only HTC has really made an effort at exceptional hardware (One X). Unfortunately, they negate it with terrible software.

Make the Nexus device the “stock” flagship and give it the hardware it deserves (something original and very high quality) and you’ll get a lot more buyers. You might even consider [novel idea]marketing[/novel idea] your high-end, stock Android device instead of relying on the carriers to do your marketing for you.

Still holding out hope for a Nexus One X. A 4.7″ design of the Nexus One, with the Guts of the One X+. I’d buy that in a heart beat. This LG phone…eh…the S4+Adreno 320 probably crushes the Tegra3, but if the rumors are true that this only has 8GB of storage, it’s a pointless device….Why have so much horsepower under the hood if it barely has enough fuel to start…

I think the Galaxy Nexus is a great looking device! And the back is awesome! It’s got a great texture which lets me grip it without worry that it’ll slip out of my hands like the S3 or something. It sounds like yours is a personal problem Dustin.

I agree. I think the look is simple, but elegant. Sure it could have used fewer seams, but on these devices, the screen is so large that so long as the thickness and weight are inside of reasonable bounds, the design variations provide a barely marginal aesthetic benefit at best. I’m much more excited about the S4 Pro running the LGN, which will very likely best the iPhone5, a mere 1-2 month span since the iDevice’s release.

Yep, I love the look of my Galaxy Nexus, and I’m glad to see the LG Nexus looks a lot like it. It’s sleek and black and when you turn on the screen, Holo pops. The dark parts of the UI blend nicely into the phone so it’s hard to tell what’s phone and what’s UI which is really cool (You can clearly see the buttons though.) I have a black background on my screen so it all blends nicely. I don’t want a blue, red or orange phone with some funky shape or strange lines. That would just distract from the interface, which is what the phone is all about.

The GN is a really good looking device, but compared to the iPhone, One X, Nokia phones, its no better than “just ok.” I don’t have a problem with plastic, but It definitely feels pretty cheap compared to those other phones. The new LG Nexus looks like flashy dogshit. This isn’t rocket science here and gimmicky crap like this sequin look that LG is using only cheapens the Nexus brand. Dustin is right here…Google needs to take ownership of the Nexus phones and that means software AND hardware.

Apple makes flagship products because they control everything software and hardware. Microsoft is seeing the benefit in that approach (see Surface Tablets and possibly phones). I’m not saying Google needs to cut any of their partners out, but if you are going to make a flagship device designed to promote the Android OS, make it a flagship device. The manufacturers can do what they want with all of the other devices, but if Google is going to have a “Google” phone, then they need to be paying attention to the hardware just as much as they have the software.

I know. I love Android and me. But this Article is a pile of shit.
If you want funky coloured phones get a fucking Windows Phone. Deal with Nokia Maps. BING BING BING!!! And all the shit it entails.

How the FUCK is an iPhone 5 an “extension”of iOS 6? Youre talking out of your ass Dustin.

And the Benetton styling is all Micorosoft could do with their tiled up OS.
Seriously if those were Android phones, youd have guys like Dustin writing articles crying: Why cant I have a professional sleek looking phone? All Android phones look like fisheer price toys! I just paid $500+ for this and I want it to look like it!”etc etc etc

Look a little more carefully, there are lots of Android phones that aren’t absurdly large. Samsung Relay is an excellent top of the line phone that measures 4.0 inch (same like iJunk). As for interface confusion, to each their own, but I always found apple interfaces to be completely insane — you need to dig down through several layers of menus that have nothing to do with what you’re looking to accomplish before finding the right setting for something simple.

Android’s interface is designed to be highly functional, where you don’t need to go messing in weird places — it “just works”.

Agree with jaxidian above. Plus, the Nexus, up to now, is not meant to be a consumer-oriented phones. Until Google comes out and changes its tone, the Nexus will remain a developer phone.

More importantly, the Android OS has always been about the separation of hardware and software. This is its strength and its weakness. And, if the rumor is true, we are going to see other Nexus phones made by different OEMs. Are we going to expect a similar look across all those phones? If so, why do we want multiple Nexus in the first place.

I think there’s no coincidence that the general tone of the Android OS is mostly “colorless” — so that it can match well with different phone hardware designs.

Actually, it takes light to make colors — Android is designed to take advantage of AMOLED displays, which only light up that part of the screen where light is actually coming from. The end result is that devices with AMOLED displays actually consume less power than ANY device with an SLCD (like apple).

It takes no power to make black. It takes less power to make blue than white. This is why you see Android color schemes to tend toward cyan.

I do know that HTC has a good looking, powerful phone on its hands. This week, I got to hold it in my own hands and the One X continues to impress. This time, as the revamped “One X+.”

“The weight and dimensions of the phone are virtually unchanged aside from a slightly refined coating on the polycarbonate (a really good kind of plastic) shell, that has a better rubbery grippy feeling to it –and yes, “rubbery grippy” is a technical term now.”

We really liked the HTC One X, and from our brief encounter with the One X+ tonight, we’re going to like it even more. On the outside, it looks essentially the same–same gorgeous screen, same solid build–but its insides are nicely ramped up.

“The X+ looks identical to the One X, but the feel in the hand is decidedly different. Where the One X has a semi-matte shell, the X+ has a full-on soft-touch paint job. It has a grippy feel that definitely sticks in the hand more than the One X does. The footprint is the same, though, and it’s a fairly good-sized phone in terms of length and width. It remains to be thin, thankfully.”

“The screen, which measures 4.7-inches and includes 1280 x 720 pixels, looked quite good. It’s the same LCD used by the One X, and it’s one of my favorite displays to come to market this year.”

If you don’t know what you’re talking about, you shouldn’t talk at all. how is HTC almost bankrupt? HTC has never posted a loss. Even with sales down this yer, they will be taking nearly $800 million to the bank. Nokia, RIM and even Sony are more at rist of closing up shop than HTC is.

Why are you even commenting here? You should be trying to state your own damn opinion yet you just quote from other sites by copy and paste. If we were interested at browsing from Phonescoop we’d be reading from them instead on the reading the comments section from AaM!

Agree with you, Dustin. Dieter Rams will be cringing looking at these designs. We may hate Apple for their monopolistic ways, but they do have good taste.

In terms of design, I don’t want to sound racist (I’m Asian myself) but the Koreans really do not get aesthetics. HTC & Sony do get it (although I didn’t personally like the NXT range), but in the specs race, they always seem to come out second best.

I thought the One S was the best designed Android phone for a long time, with superb materials. I hope HTC get a Nexus phone and build one around that design.

That glittery back is appalling. How could something like that possibly get the thumbs up? I’m praying that it looks worse in the pics than in real life, because these pics are taken up so close with lots of lighting. If that’s the case, the bezel, extra chin space, and off centered cameras are my only negatives for the design. Not really big enough problems to keep me from buying given the great specs, unless the back really is that girly.

I Totally agree in some aspects, but in others i disagree… i love this site and i think that a lot of us jumping the gun by acting as if this is the final product design. i know you mentioned that in this article, but we shouldn’t be disappointed in something that has yet to actually materialize. as this site as mention before, building the hype and publishing articles like this ass so many are guilty of doing only dampens the hype of the rumor itself by calling out what, again, has yet to be materialized. I know, some might see me as trolling her, which i’m not, and some might see me as totally disagreeing with you which i’m not. like i said, i agree with this article totally, but i don’t think we should even be a little disappointed. we should, as i’ve heard other androidandme fans say before, save the disappointed, anger, and the possibility of some sort of let down all together until something is officially announced. but thank you for this article in any case.

I agree with you fully . Although it is fun to debate nexus all day, this is still the rumored nexus device. It says “with Google” and doesnt have the rumored nexus “X” on the back either. Maybe they handed out phones with different body designs for testing like how they do when testing cars and covering up the body.
I prefer my phone without a case, But most will be putting a case on it anyway. :)

“Like a turbo edition of sports car, the One X+ for AT&T sports the same ultra-bright and sharp 4.7-inch Super LCD 2 screen, but there’s more power under the hood, thanks to a 1.7-GHz Tegra 3 quad-core processor. You also get a beefier 2,100 mAh battery, up from 1,800 mAh on the One X, so you should be able to get more surfing time on AT&T’s network. We like the stealth-bomberesque black design on this premium device; it not only looks bad-ass but doesn’t feel like it could slip out of your hands like the glossier Samsung Galaxy S III.”

I think this has more to do with what sort of design the hardware manufacturer brings to the table. Google provides the internal specs plus the latest build of android to go with it. It’s really the manufacturers call on how the device should look.

The galaxy nexus was a samsung device, not to mention the nexus 1 was not sold in stores it was sold right through Google which most people did not know about hence why it didn’t really sell that well. Plus afterall, it is aimed as a developer device and not a really main stream huge seller device.

Yeah, this thing is hideous. Please bring back the gold and black, 80′s batman utility belt theme that the OG Droid had. Also, shape it like a brick. And borrow the bulging fish eye of a camera that protrudes from the sleek back of the Samsung GNex. When I’m making a call, I want people to look at me and say “Damn, that guy’s phone is also a camera!” A camera phone! What an idea. What’s with the subtle camera, flush with the back of the phone? How are people going to know I have a camera in my phone? How is my girlfriend going to look up during a triple X throwdown, and see my phone, propped up in a coffee mug, with that tiny black square capturing her every move? It’s like the only thing that LG even got right was bedazzling the back like a Richard Simmons tank top. No thanks, LG. I’ll stick with my Nokia 7600.

I concur, you hit it right on the mark. The Nexus phone needs a design that is befitting of Holo and Android 4.1. Android already has a set of principles and guidelines for what Holo is, how it looks like, and how it works. Why not do something similar and make the hardware a focal point, as well. The hardware should bring the user to the software and provide a design that brings forth an emotional response, one that leads from hardware to software, like the flow of water in a stream. Hardware must complement the software and bring out the best of both worlds.

I want to be able to hold a Nexus and immediately feel an emotional response, one that is attuned to the design guidelines of Holo. I don’t want just a big slab but a device that is designed for me or one that brings beauty and simplicity to the forefront, thus creating a magical and connected experience. At the moment the Nexus is just a part of the whole and holo is also a part of the whole. Google and their partners need to bridge the gap and bring the two aspects of the phone to create something genuinely authentic and personal.

“I want to be able to hold a Nexus and immediately feel an emotional response, one that is attuned to the design guidelines of Holo.”

Ugh, to bring up the HTC One X (I really dislike you cGmC11)… make something like that – a tastefully done two-tone device like the Cushnie et Ochs edition of the HTC One X – that phone is sexy without being gaudy. Just enough flash to garner a second glance and elicit the question “Hey, what phone is that?!” from a passer-by.

Samsung is winning for a reason, and I think Google should of stuck with them and let them tweak the Galaxy Nexus a little bit. They’re not going to make it top notch because it’s just a reference device. Also, they want to sell it cheap to spark more buzz in the device section of the play store. I don’t think the Nexus will be something extravagant until Google makes it more of a show piece instead of a work horse.

We have at least give Google props for coming along ways with androids, and even though they have to pin down hardware design, i believe the Nexus program will enable them to more effectively pin down hardware design be having multiple devices, while also giving android users more variety

While I think this article is well intentioned, I also think it presumes/assumes too much. Do we have any proof, aside from the curved design of past Nexus devices, that Google is mandating Nexus devices look a certain way? We obviously know that Google has a close relationship with the hardware manufacturer chosen to produce a Nexus device, but I don’t think they’re as intimately involved in design choices as this article makes them out to be.

There is some sense amongst us. I’ve been spitting feathers about this lack luster phone design for days.

Jellybean is an OS to be proud of and it is by far more in tune with what these phones mean to us as smart devices. No silly pretend wood, metal or water droplets cluttering up the screen. These phones are the very powerful remote’s for our digital lives and should reflect that before the screen illuminates.

I would love to take out my phone and have strangers to look at it like it was the monolith from 2001. Yes I want them to go crazy and scream like chimps because seeing my phone is like telling an adult that now we can fly through the sea and sail on the sky.

Maybe we go to far with our requests but we should at least have a phone that looks like someone gave a damn about how it should look and feel like because the user should at least feel some connection with a device they carry around with them everyday for the next 18 to 24 months.

Have to disagree with your here. I think the device looks great. LG’s crystal reflection process looks very nice in person on the Optimus G, and I think it will translate well on the LG Nexus. I think it will look even better in white, if one becomes available.

Google obviously has a hand in design, but it’s still ultimately the manufacturer’s phone. If Google has complete control over the design, I have my doubts that the Nexus S or Galaxy Nexus would have the bump on the back of it, just like the original Galaxy S and Galaxy S II devices.

Nexus devices don’t necessarily need to have a stark contrast in design from the previous one. At the end of the day, they are developer devices. I’m just glad it doesn’t look like a bar of soap like the Nexus S did.

In attempts to go for “understated”, LG’s designs usually come off as boring, but that’s hardly what I see here. As long as the thing comes with more than 8GB of internal storage, it’ll most definitely be my next device.

I’m on the Nexus S, and this LG Nexus gives me everything I wanted in an upgrade. Though maybe a little large for my tastes.

I like the curves of the Samsung Nexii, but the LG looks like a phone you can plunk down onto your desk and it won’t wobble. And the beveled edges should make it still nice to hold. I think the Sparkle Time effect will actually be more understated than the first few pictures suggested. Overall looks like a really solid phone, can’t wait to see the final version.

“The curved display was impressive at first, but quickly went from innovation to novelty once it was clear it served no real purpose.”

If you ever left it facing down on a table you’d be glad you had that curved screen. It’s one thing I miss in the Galaxy Nexus, which is much less curved. I also need to be much careful. It protected the screen very well against flat surfaces.

Other than that, you nailed it. About colors, I’m all for choice, although I don’t want anything flashy that remotely resembles something you could buy at a Toys R Us. Much less something with a huge glowing or shining logo on the back.

I absolutely agree! Although I do think the Galaxy Nexus is the the best Nexus phone made in terms of design next to the Nexus One. This LG Nexus is just so lackluster, I will be staying with my Galaxy Nexus until the next release!!

Uhm the front looks exactly the same as the gnex and then LG gives it a crystal back which is better then the crap Samsung had on the back. How do you not like this phone vut love the gnex im confused aha

Most people are going to slap a case on the phone and not going to care (and never see) what the backside looks like. All my iPhone friends who have their ‘beautiful phone’ want to protect it and put a case of it as well.

If the same form factor is being used as the Galaxy Nexus then accessories are already available! What is more important is what is under the hood for me.

I could not agree with this article more. I was hoping that I was not the only one that felt like the installment of the Nexus was a huge disappointment.

I look at the G nexus and think ‘That’s a sexy phone’ Then the release of the One series and the GsIII was like WHOA.

But this… is bad. like very bad. I remember when the G1 came out and the look was so unique and tougher than a big DOG! My G1 was hit by a car and survived like a solider. I love that girl!

My vibrant was thin and soft, but that girl was still baad! My HTC sensation was a designed that made me not even want a case for it and my SgIII is (to me) the best looking phone out of the bunch, I have rooted and put on AOKP. It feels GREAT expensive habit, but I love I mean Its light, but still with some weight, good tactile button in the front, and just a good looking piece of hardware.

This phone here, made by LG, makes me long for the days when HTC was not dying and innovation was not being killed. But, it feels great to be spoiled enough w/ android to even have this complaint. I’m sure there is some serious issues with the new iPhone that I’m not aware of that drives people nuts.

Anyways great article and thank you for having the balls to say it… I read through the comments, and looks like we are in the minority.

Honestly I think Google is stuck in between a rock and a hard place. They want a successful selling phone but don’t want to sell it thru carriers like the s3 does. And it looks like they want to give their average consumers of nexus products recognition and familiarity by making a device that looks similar to its predecessor. They can’t sell a bunch of a new phone that looks just like the old phone that didn’t sell very well

I totally agree. The Galaxy Nexus is the best looking phone I ever seen. I love the curve design and everything about it. Saif mentioned a design inspired by the Nexus Q. That would be badass!! I hope Google is reading. Lol

I agree. I honestly don’t know why ppl are hating this phone so much. I remember ppl bitching about the s3 design and saying how its gonna fail and how uninspiring it is. Well guess what…its the best selling Android phone period and those who complained about its design quickly fell in lovw with it once they held it in their own hands (myself included). I personally think this phone looks gorgeous. The screen is going to be better than the current Gnex, the internal hardware is INSANE (especially considering its a nexus phone), the camera is awesome and most importantly its going to run the latest and greatest mobile OS on the planet. What more do u guys want? Google is putting a stock android on a beast of a phone. They changed up the looks of the Optimus G (and thank God for that) to make it their own. The back looks sick and I say this again….WAIT till u actually see it for yourself. You may end up loving it. Psyched to see how this phone is going to perform on a stock android build. Its gonna be a fuckin BEAST.

You know, I think you guys are really over-exaggerating the “bad looks” of this phone. I don’t think it looks bad at all. I’m not sure if there’s anyone who agrees with me, but I truly believe it looks better than the iPhone 5. The SGS3 had bad reception as well, but its looks were growing on everyone later on. The merits of the design of a certain device aren’t always self-evident, it takes time for someone to appreciate them. I believe it’ll be the same case with this Nexus.

Look how better it looks next to the iPhone, back to back. This Nexus has more uniformity and looks more symmetrical in height and width. The iPhone looks too tall, and the extra “chin” on this Nexus is to accommodate the extra width (768p) of the screen, which is wider than the Galaxy S3′s while the whole phone is narrower. If it had a smaller chin, it’s going to look too wide. It’s just as tall as the SGS3, but the top edge of the screen is close to one’s thumb. Yes, it’s really close the design of the Galaxy Nexus from the front, but that design was simply amazing, only the back needed some work.

Look how thin those side bezels are, it’s really close to nothing. According to the screen size and resolution, this screen is 102.4mmÃ—61.4mm, and the SGS3 is 106.3mmÃ—59.8mm, which means the screen of this Nexus is 1.6mm thicker and 3.9mm shorter. They NEED a thicker top and bottom (chin) so that the device doesn’t look too wide. Mind you, they’re no where as big as the ones on the previous iPhones relative to the whole size of the device. The SGS3′s body is 70.6mm wide, and this Nexus (according to those rumored specs) is 69mm (1.6mm narrower than the SGS3). Simple math says the side bezels on the SGS3 measure 5.4mm each (from outer body to the screen), the iPhone 5 is 4.35mm, and this Nexus is 3.8mm!! The SGS3′s bezel looks thinner than the iPhone (while it’s not) because the entire device is larger, imagine how THIN this Nexus’ bezel will look!

I’m also digging the wider screen, more real estate for browsing and navigation (You’ll see the difference side-by-side when the same webpage is loaded on both devices in the future). It’s 16:10, videos will also look great.

You guys keep saying “glittery back”, but I’d like to call it “mosaic”. The author keeps saying that the Nexus needs to look like Holo and Android as a whole, but let ask you this: have you ever seen the “Nexus Live Wallpaper”? Does that ring a bell?

All in all, I think the craftsmanship and engineer of the phone are great. I hope the back is made of tough gorilla glass though, I don’t want another issue like the iPhone 4/4S had.

I know everyone has an opinion. That’s terrific. And if you think Samsung phones are good designs of high quality, that’s fine. But I would also ask you to consider that fact that popular opinion does NOT hold them to high regard as far as materials are concerned.

The reason people want to see mostly an HTC or Sony Nexus phone is because they have a higher quality build. And I’m not talking about stupid drop tests. I’m talking about the materials used, the design, etc. Shiny plastic looks cheap. Period! You can have a difference of opinion but you are in the minority plain and simple.

The reason Samsung sells more phones than HTC isn’t because their phones are better. It’s because Samsung is a giant company that can market with the best of them. Super Bowl ads? Sure. World Series ads? Sure. Every NFL game I watch on the weekend has Samsung Galaxy commercials. THAT’S why they sell.

But give me a break. I have a 2 year old Android phone that is stock, not rooted, never been rooted, and it’s slow. I’m in the market for a new phone. I cannot for 1 second even think of buying a Galaxy Nexus to flash in front of my iPhone 5 friends. I’d be out of my mind. The iPhone 5 build quality is so much better it’s not even funny. However, if I bust out an HTC One X or One X+, now I would feel like I have a well built phone with better software than iOS. It’s something I can be proud of.

No offense to any of you that like Samsung or LG phones, but one of the reasons that you see people with iPhone’s still is because their hardware is so nice. If you had better builds of the likes of HTC from someone large like Samsung, you’d see an even bigger gap between Android phone sales vs. the iPhone. I don’t think kids care so much. Your average high school kid or college kid probably doesn’t care. But when you get a bit older, you want some sophistication and class not just with software, but with the hardware itself.

So all you Galaxy Nexus lovers and perhaps lovers of this new LG, please don’t pretend that you don’t realize how much better other phones are built like the One X or an iPhone. There’s actually zero comparison between phones like that and the shiny pieces of crap hardware that the Korean companies like to put out. They do it to make more profit.

I think I have decided that my next Phone will be a One X+. I want to support companies that put out beautiful hardware with high end materials and not the company that markets the most on t.v.

I agree that the design is not a noticeable difference. I would like to see something totally different and not black. After the Nexus S came out with the curve display, all android phones emulated the design. I think it has to do with branding but all the iPhones look the same and there is so many different form factors for android that could be used. I also think the 360 images does it some justice. I am still looking for a new Nexus device because my Nexus S is only 3.5G and the memory is a problem. I didn’t think the Galaxy Nexus innovated enough.I think what the tech industry has done is spoiled us to the point that we want and expect more innovation at a faster pace

I’m not understanding the connection Dustin Earley is trying to make with Holo and the Galaxy Nexus in this article, so what if the phone’s hardware doesn’t look like the OS. If it did one or the other would get outdated fairly quickly. Just because the The nexus4 seems to have sparkles on the back doesn’t mean that the OS will all of a sudden start to have the same appearance. I don’t see the mesh leather design from the Nexus7 anywhere in the design of the OS.

I have to be honest, I didn’t like the Galaxy Nexus’ design when I first saw it, but it quickly grew on me simply because the phone doesn’t quite look like many other phones. I feel the same about the Nexus4. I’m not digging the backside of this phone but I’m withholding final judgement until I see it in person.

The Nexus is not meant to be for the mainstream. It is a “techie” device. I personally love the look of the new Nexus, if this is the final design. Leave the radical design set and vivid colors to the smartphones for the masses, such as the Galaxy SIII, etc. The gimmicks are best left to the devices that are owned by folk that enjoy those perks. For Nexus users, it’s about the hardware and software integration within the device.

I have to agree that the front looks much too alike to the GNex, but imho, the simple black panel pairs well with the onscreen buttons. Looks quite sophisticated in my eyes. I always thought the GNex looked awesome from the front – vibrant when the screen was on, minimalistic and sleek when it wasn’t. And the notification light made it all the nicer ;). The backside, well, is… Somewhat unique, if a bit cheap looking. To me, sparkly doesn’t fit with Android (like, AT ALL), but we’ll see, ya know? The backside of the GNex also looked butt ugly to me, but it grew on, just like the S3, which was VERY disappointing at first glance. All the same, I would’ve liked the 4X form with onscreen navigation buttons. Guess I’ll be waiting for that elusive Xperia Nexus xD.

Ranting over a set of unofficial pictures leaked by someone? how can you even judge the design of the phone if it is not even officially announced? Or at least do a hands-on the device. If ever the photos were true, it’s still too early to judge the phone’s design since things can still change.

I understand this article is an opinion piece but it is frankly a really horrible one at that.
The GNex is a great and very good-looking device and from the pics we’ve seen so far the LG Nexus will be as well. If you don’t like it – guess what – just don’t buy it. Buy a HOX+ instead or go for a Nokia or an iPhone if form over function is so important for you. Looks are a matter of taste and there is no right way for a device to look (even though Apple won’t stop pretending otherwise).
For me and many others, my device needs to vanish around the OS I am using, and the GNex does so extremely well.

This phone is not going to win any beauty contests, but I don’t think it’s as bad as you make it out to be. I actually dig it. If you recall the GSIII was getting bashed left and right when it first was announced, and it did just fine.

This flush, flat glass back with a patented crystal reflection technology is much better than the hideous plastic shit on the galaxy nexus with a freaking fish eyed camera popping the fuck out with a love handle bump on the bottom.

Not hating on the galaxy nexus. Just saying you samsung fanboys need to realise how much nicer the LG nexus is.

I think the device looks great. I have a Galaxy Nexus and love the design and color. I think what Google is trying to do is set a standard for each device but keeping them similar even though they are moving manufacturers. Each device has had rounded corners and the same sorta design in the front. Rounded back for the most part also.

I just dont think this is my upgrade for the year. I think Im going to wait for the Note 2 and then get the next nexus. Next year. This doesnt seem to grab my eyes like the first nexus did.

The Nexus Line of Phones,Tablets and Media consumption devices are OPEN.

They are open because Google is open (on the whole) so they fall in line with Google’s ethos of innovation and sharing information for all.

They are not dedicated developers devices because they are sold in the consumer goods market for non developers.

It is much more accurate to say these are developer friendly devices.

Consumers and Developers have totally different needs and without needing to be on the board of Google the fact that I can buy these devices in consumer stores on-line and in high street retail outlets tells me these are meant for consumers.

The TV adverts tell me the sort of consumer they want to buy these devices.

Developers don’t even get adverts aimed at them.

The Nexus brand does have a purpose though and that is to collect data for advertising which is Google’s main money making stream.

You’re forgetting how Samsung messed up the Galaxy Nexus in the first place. I sold mine after a while, just because they messed up the speakers, build quality and updates “probably to make the GS3 good”. An other thing, some people got different builds of the phone such as “yakju” and “yakjux” which one of them is Google updates and the other is Samsung updates. Easily fixed after a root but most people buy a Nexus device to skip the rooting and instead, having a device they want fixed out of the box. This time it sure seems like Google went all in and put the processor Snapdragon S4 krait compared to the TI OMAP. The screen is also Gyro touch which means no delay at all between the finger and the screen, that is actually one feature that the iPhone 5 has “since I think it’s LG who makes the screen for them?”. The camera seems really good in the latest picture under the 360 degrees photo they posted earlier. The build quality? LG has better build quality than Samsung… I’m annoyed how people keep talking good about the GNexus but they forget, without stock android the phone would be total crap! That’s the only reason we bought the GNexus… Now google and LG has put both design, hardware in a new level “if the specifications are true”.

I completely disagree! I would be very disappointed if Google would take the Nokia way of making colorful hardware. The hardware should be out of the way, it should be minimalistic and not distracting. It should serve as an efficient window to the software. This is the Apple’s approach and I like it. I think the Nexus design serves this purpose very well – no physical buttons, no shiny color plastic, small bezel.

I just looked at the optimus G (the phone this nexus is based on) and it’s down right gorgeous. The. Nexus is the same design just rounded edges not sharp. People say this design is ugly i think people will change there mind when they hold one. LG is better then Samsung, they didn’t do the nexus brand bogus either like Samsung does. Im finally going to have a LG. They will take htc spot as number 2 watch and they will beat out Samsung as long as Samsung keeps using crap build quality. LG is stepping up even Samsung has said the same exact thing. This will be the best nexus ever.

However in all fairness, Google isn’t the only company suffering a lack of design ideas. How much of a design improvement have you seen from Apple since the iPhone 4? The 4S was identical to the 4 and the 5 is basically just a stretched out iPhone 4. Apple even released a video of Jony Ive saying how they were careful in not making major changes to the device to preserve the user’s relationship with their device. Sounds like they’re making excuse for not straying to far off the line when it comes to design.

I think it’s a little early to judge LG’s device since the hardware isn’t even at release level yet. That said, I think the screen is the main attraction (other than the OS itself) and as such, the rest of the phone should sort of get out of the way. At the same time I’m getting pretty tired of dark neutral, meaning various shades of grey/bronze/black. And I can’t ever see carrying a yellow, teal or red phone.

What I would really like is a clear poly-carbonate shell (the stuff they make riot shields from) in a matte translucent finish with the notification LEDs inset into the shell.This way the entire shell could softly glow in whatever colors the user wished when notifications occurred. I have been using matte clear TPU skins for some time and really like the look. In addition scuffs and scratches to the shell become a thing of the past because you could just carefully sand them away since there would be no painted color finish.

While I don’t really disagree with you, I’m thinking the vision may be something like the phone is just the canvas for the software. The software is front and center and the hardware should be understated as to not take anything away from it.

That being said, I wish they would have pulled the Holo blue into the hardware. Not the whole phone like the Lumia just a little spash kind of the like the Evo One X on sprint. Just a bit of color done right.

We are quickly reaching the point where the ergonomics of the face, fingers, ears, and mouth are limiting the so-called “innovation” in design. The Nexus S is a fantastic phone, and no amount of whining will change that.

A “We think that ” in the title would have been more than appreciable because in its current state, I just have to say “I love this phone’s design” for your post to become useless.
Let’s keep serious guys, we often appreciate your enlightened point of view, but not when it comes to very subjective matters such as design.

Not a great design buff..but yeah sure it could have been unique in-terms of look-n-fell. But hey, once put into a case, they all mostly look the same. Anyways, it needs to be better spec’ed. Price wise 400$ sounds a sweet spot with possible reductions as holidays approaching.

When was the last time anyone of us saw anything by LG and said “Wow! That looks (insert adjective)! I must own it” Never. LG is a jack of all trades, master of none type company. I know samsung is too. While I agree with the idea of many OEM nexus devices to reduce fragmentation, they need to step up and take control of the design of their flagship device.

This is really, really ironic, but I think Jelly Bean would look really, really good on the black iPhone 5. Just think about it – the stark, minimalist, dark look of Holo matches perfectly with the stark, minimalist, dark design of the iPhone 5.

No matter how you look at it, a phone is going to have to conform to certain design specifications;

3-dimensional rectangle, height approximately 2x width, depth some relatively thin size around or a little under 1/2 inch.

Round the cornes however you like, paint it with whatever color you like. In the end, they ALL LOOK THE SAME, and all I care about is that it doesn’t look too fruity (i.e., pink = bad). Greys and blacks are good non-descript colors to paint your rectangle with.

A phone is NOT SUPPOSED to be artwork. Its supposed to be a TOOL. It is supposed to do a specific job — connectivity, and do it well. If you’re all hung up about how “pretty” it is, the you’re obviously just looking for a status symbol and not a tool — in other words, your opinion is meaningless and your expression of your opinion does nothing except prove that you’re an imbicile.